Location based full text search

• US 9,235,598 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pfeifle, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): THAI, HANH B
• Application Number:
  US14/275,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20140250141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/711, 707/724, 707/745
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2237 Vectors, bitmaps or matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/316 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3332 Query translation

Abstract

A method and system for a location based full text search is disclosed. The system generates interwoven bit vectors for documents that are stored in a database. The system may determine a location value based on a portion of a map that a user is viewing. The system may also receive at least one search term inputted by a user. Based on the location value and the search term, the system may generate one or more interwoven bit vectors, which may be used to query an index that identifies responsive documents stored in the database.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data indicative of a location;

receiving a search term;

identifying a first geographical coordinate and a second geographical coordinate corresponding to the location;

combining, using a processor, the first geographical coordinate and the second geographical coordinate into a single dimensional location value; and

combining, using the processor, the single dimensional location value and the search term into a vector.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying a geographic database with the vector.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving search results limited spatially by a geographic area based on the location and limited textually by the search term.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing range query based on the vector.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the vector includes alternating portions of the first geographical coordinate, the second geographical coordinate, and the search term.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a length of the alternating portions is defined by an offset value, wherein the offset value is defined by a geographic database.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying a character length of at least one of the first geographical coordinate, the second geographical coordinate, and the search term so that the first geographical coordinate, the second geographical coordinate, and the search term have the same length.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting the first geographical coordinate to a numbering system;

converting the second geographical coordinate to the numbering system;

or converting the search term to the number system.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the numbering system is binary or hexadecimal.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a map tile viewed on a device; and

selecting the data indicative of the location based on the map tile.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a geographic position of a device; and

selecting the data indicative of the location based on the geographic position of the device.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

identify a first geographical coordinate and a second geographical coordinate corresponding to a location;

combine the first geographical coordinate and the second geographical coordinate into a single dimensional location value; and

combine the single dimensional location value and a search term for a point of interest into a vector.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

query a geographic database with the vector.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

receive search results limited spatially by a geographic area based on the location and limited textually by the search term.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the vector includes alternating portions of the first geographical coordinate, the second geographical coordinate, and the search term.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

modify a character length of at least one of the first geographical coordinate, the second geographical coordinate, and the search term so that the first geographical coordinate, the second geographical coordinate, and the search term have the same length.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first geographical coordinate and the second geographical coordinate are based on a geographic position of a device or a map area viewed on the device.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a geographic database; and

a processor configured to identify a first geographical coordinate and a second geographical coordinate corresponding to a location and combine the first geographical coordinate, the second geographical coordinate, and a search term into a single dimensional vector for querying the geographic database.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the geographic database is configured to return search results limited spatially by a geographic area based on the location and limited textually by the search term.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein processor is configured to access an offset value for an index in the geographic database, wherein the vector includes alternating portions of the first geographical coordinate, the second geographical coordinate, and the search term defined at least in part by the offset value.